Christmas Tree Decorating

Daddy was done working reasonably on time on Wednesday, so we set out to buy a Christmas tree.
It was December 1st and it had snowed overnight. It was already dark by the time we got our coats and boots on, which made it extra "special", as Cain likes to say.

The kids did very well while we were at the store; Cain tried to climb/ride an inflatable reindeer as soon as we walked into the store, and Caira got super excited when she saw a pink Christmas tree in the line up (yes, she is already about the pink stuff!!) but other than that they were mellow as usual.

We set the tree up as soon as we got home. It's a little 4.5 foot shiny one, standing on top of one of our end tables, and perfect for us! We decorated it as a family and that too was a success.

The babies love the tree, and can't help but touch the branches every once in a while, but I think they understand that we only get to decorate it once.

I can't believe how fast the holiday season crept up on us! Only 2.5 more weeks until Christmas, and then all the festivities will be over.. It'll just be cold, dark, and January.
At least we will always have the memories, and pictures, of our first Christmas as a family, and our first tree.

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Caira's First Birthday

Caira, my little girl will be 1 year old next Wednesday.
It's weird because her birth doesn't feel like a year ago.. She has been crawling since about 5.5 months, and took her first steps right around her 10 month birthday. She's walking everywhere now, and doing a great job at it! She loves to climb and is very good at "Simon Says" type games (we don't actually say "Simon "says" but instead say "Everybody... clap/touch your nose etc")
She wiggled her toes this morning, when both her and her brother were sitting on my lap, and we were all inspecting each others wiggly toes lol I was pretty impressed by that!
We practiced blowing out candles today, she did pretty good but Cain helped her with the final touches.

Caira is such a little girl- she still cries and makes pouty faces when we tell her no, she loves to brush her hair and play with shoes, but she is also very independent. She used to follow either Cain or myself everywhere, but now we often find her exploring this on her own. I take them to the mall a lot, to play at the kids place, and even there she goes her own way and does her own thing. I let her do a lot more than I Cain did at this age, probably because Cain just started crawling at almost 12 months old (and she's already walking), but also because she's a quick learner and wants to so everything her brother does anyway.

She has been going backwards off of things for months; it was the first thing we taught her as soon as she began crawling. "Go backwards, Caira!" I can still hear Cain. "Bawads Cawa!" XD
Cain is getting so big too, he's tall enough now that he can get onto our counter high dining set, and inspect everything that we've been storing on there because it was the only lace they couldn't reach.. He jumps up and off of the couch with little effort, and of course, Caira has noticed this too. They were sitting on the futon in our home office after lunch today, watching Nick Jr., when Cain decided he had had enough. He jump/slides off the futon, and walks away. Caira stands up, walks to the edge of the futon and as I yell "BACKWAA..!" she leaps off into the air. Of course her other foot was still on the futon, so there she went- face down on the ground- a ball went flying, I guess she must have landed on it, I reach her just in time to see her get to her knees and look at me with big eyes, gleaming with excitement. Silly girl was fine. Phew!

Her birthday is the 24th. Thanksgiving is the day after, and we're having a party for her in Dayton on the 27th. I think she'll enjoy it a lot more than Cain did his first time! She seems so much older!
I wish I had scheduled a photo session with Memories by Morgan, 'cause I remember Morgan saying that she had yet to photograph a one year old that actually ate their personal cake. I'm pretty sure Caira would destroy it! lol

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World Cup Final

Sunday July 10th, 2010.
Spain and The Netherlands in the final. Both have never won before..
Holland played a great cup, working its way to the final game.

I noticed early on that they weren't playing very smooth and fluid like they had before, and I was getting less excited for our victory every minute. This did not look good.
The score was 0-0 by the end of the game, so they went into overtime.
Both teams had some great opportunities, especially Holland, but they didn't take them. It almost seemed like they didn't really want it..

Spain scored a beautiful goal in the 119th minute, just a few seconds before they would have gone to penalty kicks, which Holland would have definitely won, as the Spanish keeper really kinda sucked.

Holland was defeated. I could not believe that just happened! Total shock at our house!

My in laws watched the game with us, and we had dinner together, which was nice. We still had a good day because of that.
Chris and I agreed later, after my in laws left, that we would have had entirely different reactions to the game LOL

All in all a good game, and a great day. Too bad Holland didn't win, but Spain definitely deserved it.

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A Night on the Town

Saturday (June 5ht 2010) was a busy day for us. We left Columbus right after lunch, (after packing and getting everyone ready) to go see Chris' cousin play football. The Warriors smashed their opponent 33-14!! After the game we rushed over o Meyer to get Caira a pacifier (we forgot hers :/ )
where I thought I saw my girl Morgan. I got so excited LOL but then realized it wasn't her as they got closer hahaha I was so sad.
We took the babies over to Chris' mom's house to spend the night. Shortly after we got there, Chris' other cousin arrived with his family. Their kids (3) were staying there too, while us grown folks double dated :)

Chris and I got a hotel room for the night at the Pure Hotel. It was pretty nice, but nothing fancy. King size suite, close to both the Oregon District and his mom's house.
I got ready in record time- dressed in 15 minutes! We were meeting Jelani and Valita at Ned Peppers. We got there around 12.30 and it was PACKED. I realized I forgot my ID, so we tried a different bar, but didn't get in there either. I suggested we call Dominik, his football playing Warrior, who also happens to be a DJ and knows a lot of people in the area. He would meet us at Pearl in 30 minutes. YAY.

I met Dominik at the same time I met Chris. We were friends back then, but don't speak unless we see each other at family gatherings now, and even those "conversations" are very rare. I miss him. Funny, how I had just mentioned that on my Facebook not too long ago!

I used to go to Pearl, now called Vex I believe(?) when I lived in Centerville YEARS ago, so I was happy to go back and felt comfortable hanging out there. We had a blast. Valita and I started talking as soon as we walked in and the Jacksons flocked over to the bar, and never stopped. I laughed so hard, that girl is hilarious! Like I said, we had a great time at the Pearl, got kicked out around 3 I believe, and went over to Denny's to eat. Without Dominik.. BUT I did get a hug!!!! :D

Of course they knew everyone at Denny's, and I didn't know anyone, but it was fun regardless and I enjoyed watching my in laws do what they do. I never really hung out with them before, besides at Christmas, Easter and people's birthdays, so I had fun seeing a different side of them.
I claimed Valita as my new best friend and I'm sticking with it even now that I am sober lol.

We got back to our hotel around 5 I believe, woke up around 9 and went to pick up the babies after breakfast.
We spent the afternoon hanging out with all of us, and went our separate ways around 4PM. Cain was so sleepy, he had a blast playing with his cousins and Nana, and was ready for a good long nap.

He slept all the way home, then ate some lunch, went back to sleep, only to have to be awakened at 7PM, to go to the store and eat dinner. A looong day for little misters, but so much fun none the less. :)

We decided next time we would double date in Columbus, but I don't really see how that would be possible, now that I'm sober, since we have n family here LOL I guess we're taking the kids with us! hahaha

Can't wait or next time! :)

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Memorial Day 2010

On Memorial Day, we were supposed to visit Chris' family in Dayton for dinner (which is an all day thing, really). I decided not to go at he last minute, and stayed home by myself.
It was my first time alone for more than a quick run to the store or a doctor's appointment, and I have to say, I was less lonely than I thought I would be, but more lonely than I said I would be LOL

I took the opportunity to vacuum the whole apartment, since Cain is cared to death of the sound it makes and I can't get as much done as often as I would like.
After vacuuming, I folded the laundry, then I did some dishes, and after it was ME time.

I got comfy on the couch wiht my chocolate cake and watched "Julie&Julia". It's a movie about this woman, Julie, who is a little depressed and decides to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook to get out of her slump. She sets a deadline for herself; 1 year, and writes a blog about it, one post per night. The movie is alright. Julia Child is played by Meryl Streep. My goodness. I need to youtube this lady now, and see if her voice is really that annoying! She reminded me slightly of my grandmother, the way she pronounced things, but her VOICE. YIKES.
She seemed drunk to me. I was seriously waiting for the part that everyone discovered she had a drinking problem, but that scene never came.. I found myself disappointed when I thought the movie was over and another scene popped up.
You understand I was happy when it finally did end- in a very strange way, might I add.

I watched another one that I had been wanting to see and Chris wanted no part of; "My Sister's Keeper". I have to admit, it was all that I expected to be; emotional, sad, a true drama. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that it did have some unexpected turns. I guess anyone else WOULD have expected the turns, but I didn't. lol. I guess I don't like to go into movies thinking about what could happen. It takes away form the mind numbing pleasure that watching movies gives me.

Already being in an emotional state, these movies were the best choice I could have made to spend my Memorial Day. When my boyfriend came home with the kids I was re-energized, patient and loving. Donor babies, children quite literally made to be donors for their older, sick, sibling, have a way of putting things in perspective, I guess.

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Cain's Social Security Number

Most of you know that Cain, my preemie son, born in August of 2008, was born in Holland.
In Holland they handle paperwork surrounding births very different than they do in The U.S.
For starters, a parent, or someone else who was present at the birth, has to go to the Vitals office and report the birth within 3 days of the baby's arrival. They ask for the names of the parent(s) and baby, what day and time, and which hospital the baby was born in, whereas in America, the hospital's social workers (I assume) take care of all of this.
Thankfully I had my mom and sister there. My mom and her boyfriend (/husband) reported Cain's birth while I was recovering in my hospital bed. Cain was, however, automatically added to my insurance when the Vitals office contacted them with his "social security" number. That was great! "Yay, one less thing that I need to worry about!"

Chris came to visit us, and meet his son, about 4 months after Cain was born. We had so much to talk about, plan, share, take care of and catch up on. Chris was in awe of his newborn mini-me and Cain was visibly LOVING his daddy.
So much so, that we basically stayed in the house the entire time Chris was there. Everything that we were supposed to do was no longer a priority; these 2 needed a chance to get to know each other and just cuddle as much as they could. I was so happy to see him again after 8 months, and my heart just melted when I saw him with Cain. I decided I wanted to go back to him as soon as Cain was big/healthy enough to travel.
We only had a week and a half together, and they pretty much spent the entire time in "each others" arms.
Cain and I were both so sad when daddy had to leave. At least we would get to see him again in 2-3 months..

Cain and I sneaked into the country the easiest and least expensive way. Me using my American passport, on a ticket with a return flight. "What's your reason for travel?" "We're vacationing. We're here to see daddy!" "Oh, your son is adorable!!"

Then it started.. We tried to get insurance for us all.. Cain doesn't yet have a social security number, so insurance is out of the question for now. OK, well let's get him his social security card.
The person on the other side of the desk at the Social Security Office tells me I need his birth certificate. "I don't have the original, but this is the abbreviated version." Not good enough, and if we use his passport instead, he will be an alien. On top of that, we need a certificate of birth abroad.
Apparently, when we skipped our to do list when Chris was in Holland, we messed everything up for all of us. We were supposed to go to the US embassy/consulate to notify them of Cains birth. We figured we could just do that when we got to Ohio but.. not so much.
Basically, we need to go back to Holland, which costs about $1200 per adult ticket, 10% of an adult ticket plus taxes for the babies (yes, 2 by now) for the flight, then go to the U.S. consulate and pay $500 to report his birth (which was 2 years ago) so that we can go to the Social Security Office a few miles from our apartment and stand in line for another hour to file for his FREE social security number.

We were planning to go to Holland this summer, mainly to take care of all of Cain's things, but also because of the World Cup (soccer). Chris wanted to go to South Africa to watch the games live, but since that didn't work out, Holland would be a good alternative. They go crazy for soccer, and I'd love to share some of my culture with my boyfriend, after being together for so many years, and only have visited for 1.5 weeks which we spent in the house..
It's not looking so good though.. We are still hoping to go, but in reality it seems pretty impossible. :(
I'm almost positive though, that there has to be another way. They can't force us to spend thousands of dollars to go back to the country of birth, can they?!! I wish there was a way to just ASK SOMEONE what we should. Unfortunately, to-the-point-answers are hard to come by these days, especially when all these phone lines are automated! :/

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Mother's Day 2010

My boyfriend is amazing. He is such a great daddy, but he spoils me rotten too! Early in the morning, I think it was around 7 AM, Caira woke up; she was freezing! Chris got her out of bed and laid her down between us. Everyone went back to sleep.

I heard something and opened my eyes. Chris walks out of the closet, he is fully dresses. "Where are you going? Don't leave me!" "........I'm going....... to .. ge breakfast" He was clearly think of something else to say, but what else could he be doing on a Sunday morning! "Why? We need to finish those sausages" (LOL we use half a pack of sausages each weekend morning) "But it's Mother's Day.." I smiled. Oh yeah.. it's Mother's Day.. "OK. Did you order yet?"

Cain woke up and Chris got him out of bed, and put him in bed with Caira and I. Chris asked me what I wanted to do today. I didn't know. I had kinda figured we would go to Dayton to see his mom and grandmother. He said he planned on taking us to the zoo. YAAAAAAAYYY THE ZOOOOOOOO!!
I had been wanting to go for MONTHS! Since last summer, really lol.

Chris went to get breakfast from Bob Evans, and I called my mom. She was home alone, which I thought was kinda sad, but she sounded OK now (apparently she had been crying most of the morning 'cause her kids don't love her. Oh, mothers.)

I walk into the living room, carrying Caira on one arm/hip, her bottle in my free hand. Cain is running ahead of me, screaming with excitement. (He doens'nt like being "'trapped" in our bedroom very long, he'd much rather run around and get into stuff he's not supposed to) I walk over to the dinding table to put Caira down in her bouncy chair, so we can eat our precious Bob Evans. LOL.
There's a beautiful bouquet on the table, accompanied by a card. I opened the envelope and started reading, but quickly slid it back in the envelope. "I'm not gonna read it right now, you're just trying to make me cry!" My boyfriend is so sweet, you have no idea. I love it when he buys me flowers. It makes me feel all girlfriend-boyfriend. lol. He always picks really nice ones too. :) The cutest part about the flowers, however, is that he bought them in a vase, not just flowers that he had to cut and put in a vase himself. Most women would probably like the latter better, more effort and what not, but I thought it was cute, 'cause I told him a week or 2 ago that I wanted to start a vase collection since I couldn't have flowers and plants on our balcony. He is very attentive.

(I'll update it with a better picture later)

After breakfast everyone got ready and we headed for the Columbus Zoo. We got there a little bit before 3PM (LOL). It was busy in the parking lot, but not too bad. We found a decent parking spot, and loaded the babies into the stroller.
We waited in line for about 2 minutes, and only paid for one ticket- Cain and Caira are both free since they're under 2 years old, and I was free as a Mother's Day special, with the purchase of any other ticket. NICE.

We had so much fun at the Zoo. Chris loves to go, and I hadn't been in probably 10 years. I was excited to take Cain, 'cause I was sure he would love it.
He enjoyed looking at the fish and other animals in the aquarium, but everything else was too far away or sat too still for him to really see. He would look at the animal, and be distracted by something. He liked it if we would point and make the sound, but I think he was a little too young still. Caira liked the "Shores" too, we sat on the far side of the room and looked at the aquarium as a whole. Bright blue background with all the moving objects and brightly colored spots was perfect for her. She sat in the stroller and stared until she feel asleep.

We got home around 7PM, after we went through the Burger King drive through. Cain played with his Iron Man 2 figurine while munching on his fries and chicken. He was so excited. I guess he's at that "doll" age. He LOVED it. We now know what to get him for his birthday. lol.

I had such a wonderful day, and we spent it just the way we wanted to. At the Zoo. :)
Next weekend we'll go to Dayton and celebrate Mother's Day with Nana, Saundra and Great Grandmother.

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Don't ever leave me

My friend Morgan posted a link to a blog. Nolan's Story.
There was a picture accompanying the link- a premature baby. I saw the picture before I saw the link or the title, or what Morgan had written. For a second I thought it was Cain. Then I read what it all said. I wrote that I would read it while my babies were napping, as everyone else said they bawled like babies when they read the blog. I couldn't wait. I was curious.

Not 15 minutes later I was halfway down the blog page. I surprised myself. I was tense, and anticipating the outcome of his story, as I already read that he didn't make it in Morgan's post, but I was also comparing my situation to that described in the blog. I was interested in reading this story because I went through something similar with my first pregnancy. I was surprised because people (nurses, doctors, social workers) had geared me towards support groups and informational websites, but I was never interested. My attitude was this: "My son is not healthy. He is struggling. I need to be here, by his side, and do whatever I can to help him. I don't need no emotional support, I don't want to hear what you bee through. I want my baby t be OK and your shoulder, ear, or story is not going to hep me." Both in my pregnancy, and after Cain was born I felt like this. I don't want to waste time reading about other people and how they managed. I wanted to get as much information and HELP MY SON. I guess I am letting go of these intense feelings of protecting and am no longer shut off from the world, in fighting mode.

Nolan's Story. You have to read it. It's long, if you follow all the links and read all the posts, but it's a story that every mother (parent) should consider.
When the final moment came, where Ashley and Chris, Nolan's parents, are called to rush to the NICU, I lost it. I had experienced most of the things she wrote about before, but that scene where she walks into the NICU is every parent's worst nightmare.

This was my initial reaction

I sat here bawling like a baby. Cain was born at 32 weeks, but was the size of a 27 week old. Nolan was born at 27 weeks but was a lot smaller than average. Cain went through a lot of what Nolan did, and I went through all of Ashley's emotions. It's just not right.
After I read Nolan's story I picked Cain up, and when he saw that I was crying he immediately hugged me and said "sorry". I told him it wasn't his fault, that he had done nothing wrong, that I was reading about a little boy that was born early like him, but didn't make it. He just looked at me with big eyes. A song came on; "He's got the whole word in his hands". Ironic. I never knew the words to that song. I just looked up at the "sky" (ceiling) and cried when I heard the third line "He's got the little tiny baby, in his hands.." Cain grabbed my face with both little hands and turned it towards him, and kissed my lips, and I just held him and cried.

I don't know what I would do if I lost him. Then, now, tomorrow, when he is all grown up.. My children are my world, but it is not complete without their daddy.
Some people think that I chose to have Cain in Holland, that I chose to not be with Chris, that I left him. I didn't. It was just how things happened. I needed him during that time. My mom and the guy I rented a house from only know how much time I spent on the phone with him. (lol)
Very early on I decided I wanted to have his children. No, we didn't PLAN to have Cain. Neither did we PLAN for Caira. It doesn't mean that we love them any less. If I would lose any one of them I would lose my mind. I can't, I don't want to, and I hope I never will, have to live without any of them.

Reading something like this, knowing it actually happened to someone, gives you a whole new perspective on life. You appreciate what you have so much more. I don't know what I'd do if I lost them.

They say God only gives you as much as you can handle. That proves it right there. I can not lose them.

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My Babies

For anyone that doesn't already know (LOL yeah right! That person doesn't exist!) I have two young children; Cain, who is my 20 month old son, and Caira, my 5 month old daughter.
I decided to write this blog because they both just keep amazing me, and I would be updating my Facebook status every 2 seconds if I would try to share their adventures through that site.

Ok, so Cain was born 2 months premature, right, well at the time, while he was growing and developing into the little boy he is now, I always thought he was normal. Yes, he was obviously smaller than other babies his age, but he didn't have much of a developmental delay. Maybe a few weeks at most.
Looking back now that I have another little one, he was completely different from "normal" babies
!!

Cain at 6.5 months old

I can't believe how fast Caira is growing up, and the way she moves and does things. You can tell she really knows what she's doing and does it intentionally. lol For example, she is rolling all through the office as "we" "speak" (I write) She spots something on the floor, and within a few seconds she is holding it in her hand. CRAZY. Cain never really did that. I knew he could roll, he had done it before, once or twice, but he just didn't seem very interested. He usually just laid in the position you would lay him in, and be perfectly content for 15-30 minutes on end.

Same thing with toes. "Has your baby discovered their feet/toes yet?" umm.... As a parent of a preemie (or maybe just MY preemie) that's a very difficult question to answer. He most likely knew his toes were there, but he didn't care about them enough to grab them.. Caira, however, is textbook! She started grabbing her toes a week or 3 ago, and I initially didn't think anything of it, since Cain never really did anything systematically. Like I said, Caira does things knowingly and with purpose. "I'm gonna play with my toes for a while now!"

Caira 5.5 months old

She started crawling backwards a week or 2 ago, and pulling herself forward last week. I am so impressed with her and how fast she is learning, but I guess it's just how the average baby does it.

Don't get me wrong though, my little boy is a clever one! Just a minute ago, he came walking in with his Polyp (lol oma!!), said "hey, look!" pointed at it's face when I looked, and said "glasses". He is learning new words every day. I feel like I can actually have "conversations" with him. Yesterday, at lunch Caira was making all the noise in the world. I asked Cain "Do you like noisy, or quiet?" He said "Quiet." And covered his ears. The loudest toddler in the world, saying he likes it when it's quiet. lol

Cain is so much fun, and Caira is such a cutie, I am so lucky to have such easy kids!! LOL

Caira, the day she was born. 7lbs 15.5oz

Cain taking his first bath
2 weeks old, 2lbs 8oz

Cain and Caira
20.5 and 5.5 months old
21lbs and 18lbs

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The quest for a hybrid SUV

We've been wanting a new car, hybrid SUV is my choice, but Chris just wants a new car. Good thing we need 2! lol
I've been doing some research on SUV's, and so far this is what I found.
The Lexus RX 450h (my favorite!) is rated best overall.
I owned a Lexus before Cain was born and fell in love, so I would really like to buy another one, as my "permanent" car- I'd keep it for a few years. It is crazy expensive, however (in the 40's), so I guess I'll settle for a different one LOL.
The one that we were considering is the Mercury Mariner.
I just read it's ranked 6th, and it's overall score is a 7.8 with a mere 6.7 for performance! :/
Hmmm maybe I need to keep looking.

I don't really want the Tahoe, since it's giant and I don't need that (it'll be mine, with the car seats, since I would be the one to take Cain and Caira to day care before class, and Chris would take his nice little car to work without bright blue Winnie the Pooh "sun-screens" LOL.
I don't care about that kind of stuff. The whole world can know I have kids. Peek in the car and see how cute they are! Don't hate.


Anyway... The Mazda Tribute..
Less expensive than the Mariner (bonus!) but unfortunately not even ranked. I've heard it has great pickup, and can even drive up to 25 mph on battery alone! (Not that I would need that, since I fill the tank up as soon as the light comes on.. I have this subconscious fear of getting stranded I guess, I get so nervous driving with that light on!!) The only real negative, in my eyes, is that they've only been sold in California in the past, and apparently there is no 2010 model for sale anywhere??? I'm fine with an 09, 08 or even 07 and 06 though.

Ford Escape, great mileage, not too bad looking, ranked number 4.. are you the one for me??
It has parallel parking (which is not an issue for me, but maybe Chris wants to borrow it sometime LOL, love you babe) and other cool features like parental controls on speed and such... :) Pretty coohoool!

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Mother's Day

Next Sunday is Mother's Day!
Usually, if a holiday or someone's birthday is coming up, I'll start thinking about gifts or ways to celebrate about a month or s before hand (except my kids' and boyfriend's birthdays- I started those MONTHS ahead lol) but I haven't really thought of what to do for Mother's Day this year..

A few weeks ago I thought it would be nice to go see my mom's mom in Dayton for lunch or something, but the closer the holiday is getting, the less I am motivated to call her.
I know it sounds weird, but I always get nervous about calling my grandparents. I reconnected with them last summer, after not speaking to them for over 3 years, and I still feel uneasy initiating anything. When I'm there, however, everything is fine and fun, just the call is what gets me. Hopefully I'll get over that soon!
I was thinking I could bake them a cake and we would have lunch there, then go over to my "mother-in-law's" house (Chris and I are not married so technically she is not my mother-in-law) and bring their cake. That would probably be a bad idea though, as the cake would have to sit in the hot car for that long! LOL

Now I'm thinking maybe we should go over to Nana's house for dinner and maybe hang out with our new friends Morgan and Johnny Ortez, and their little girl before hand. They probably have a busy day planned out with their parents and in laws though...

More importantly; what shall we make for our moms and grandmothers this year?? I like these kind of holidays since they are perfect for arts and crafts. If only my kids were old enough to enjoy them as much as I do... lol Cain loves to draw pictures, but he is more fascinated with his pens, pencils, crayons and markers than he is in actually drawing on the paper.

I think I may let him play with some finger paints out on the balcony in his diaper this week.. It's supposed to be warm enough. I wish we didn't have neighbors downstairs, or a different kind of balcony. Ours is wood; obviously, if we spill water, it ends up on their patio :/
Should make for some cute pictures too! Maybe I'll incorporate those into his art.
I hope our mothers don't read this post!! LOL

See, and if I had a flower garden he could even make his own bouquet. At not even 2 years old. lol I guess I need to slow down a little.

Stay tuned for pictures and posts about our Mother's Day adventures!

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Vonage World

Chris and I had been talking about getting a home phone for a while, and really wanted to get that done this weekend.
Well, we did!

We decided to go with Vonage; we had done a little research over the last few months (yes, I said months) and Vonage World seemed best for us.
It gives us unlimited local and long distance calling, for $15 the first 6 months, and $25 thereafter. On top of that, it offers FREE calling to Holland, which makes this pretty much perfect for us, since we have family in Columbus (local), Dayton (long distance), California (long distance) and of course Holland.

Another feature that I am really excited about, is our voice mail. There are options for receiving email notifications, and emails with the actual audio file when someone leaves a message!
We already got out first message! Thanks for calling, mam! :)

We ordered all our equipment online; the service with router from Vonage, obviously, for $22.something, and the actual phone(s - we got a corded base phone, so it is an actual phone, not just the base, with 3 cordless phones. We joked that we would put the base phone in the office, one cordless in the bedroom, one in the living room and one in the kitchen LOL but we'll just keep one or two as back up) from Best Buy, where we still had store credit from our surround sound that we had to return, so we didn't actually spend anything on those. Nice!

I'm looking forward to receiving all the equipment and get it set up over the next week! Expect a phone call from our new 614 number! :D

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Floyd Mayweather

And again.. "Oh Gush"
Have I ever told you how I feel about people with a big mouth, that they don't use for good? I don't like them.
The worst? FLOYD MAYWEATHER. He is a good, maybe great fighter, I'll give him that, but really? Do you NEEEEEEED to be disrespectful? Cocky? Your mouth is too loud, and I haven't heard anything positive come out yet. I understand he whole intimidation thing too, it's part of fighter culture, but he is straight making fun of, and talking (bad) about other men!

On another note, I loved that Shane Mosley didn't go into that, and said something to the effect of I'm not gonna do that, cause that would make him win the first battle. I'm not giving him that. :) Also.. Yay!! For him showing Floyd in the second round, I know he felt that!
I know Floyd will probably win this
(as a matter of fact, Chris is convinced this fight is scripted, since Shane Mosley is partner in "Golden Boy" - who produce this fight, and he is gonna let Floyd win 'cause it's gonna make more money for everyone)
but I am glad "we" had that one moment.

I can't wait for the day that Floyd Mayweather loses a fight. I bet he won't be so loud then... So disrespectful.

Best believe my kids will be raised right! I wasn't the most considerate, respectful nor well mannered adolescent, but that doesn't mean that my mom didn't try or even that I didn't know how to behave. People go through a lot of changes before their butterfly appearance, lol, but know that my kids will at least KNOW how to act, regardless of their levels of rebellion. lol, I think I might be in for a ride, though, seriously.. In my family they say you get back ten-fold what you did to your mother, and on top of that; my mother wished for me the fleas of a thousand camels. lol. Thanks, mom.
(Love you!)

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Spring has SPRUNG

As Cain would say: "OH GUSH!"
Oh my goodness indeed.

I wish we had a yard. I wish we had a yard with direct sunlight. One that was big enough to have a little play area for the kids, a seating section, corner for the grill, AND room for a garden!
I was determined to plant some plants in big giant pots (planters) on my balcony this year, only to be reminded when spring came around, that the balcony is completely shaded. At all times. :(


I looked for plants that grow in the shade, but it's mostly just bushes. Ferns and other plants that remind me of the shrubs you might see along the side of the highway lol Here are some that I did find, however, and I hope to add to my balcony soon!

These are Wax Begonia's, they do well in shade :)

(and planters lol)

These are called Bleeding Hearts, the only nice shade flower I found so far.

My friend Morgan bought her first house late last year, and the previous owners had planted Tulips. What a pleasant surprise! (Although it wasn't really a surprise; she knew about them but just hadn't seen them yet)

Morgan's Tulips :)

I really can't wait for the day that we buy our first home :) I LOVE home improvement and things. Gardening, decorating, upgrading our living space in general. We have big plans to buy a house, nothing too fancy, and then expanding on it; adding rooms, upgrading kitchens and bathrooms, creating an outdoor living space (built in outdoor kitchen) ALL THAT. We both LOVE watching HGTV, and get so excited and inspired.

Frequent trips to Lowe's and our local nurseries are in our future! :)

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My pregnant girlfriend

I still don't know why I'm so excited.. she lives so far away.
I haven't talked to her in so long, and I miss her.

No, these are not the words of my boyfriend. These are mine. My friend Chellz is having a baby. Her baby girl is due August 13th, and I am so excited!!
She told me in a Facebook message March 10th, and I immediately started packing a box for her. I still have to send the box, but I know she will appreciate it. Some neutral onesies and hats, some sleepers.. Basics, really. (I packed it before I knew baby's gender)
I guess it's mostly diapers that Caira got too big for, too fast, though. My little girl grows so fast, we don't even get to finish the pack of diapers we buy her!! lol
I found Chelly's baby registry yesterday. She's registered at Babies R Us, under her name, Oricela Vazquez, and her fiancee, Brandyn Healer, is listed as co-registrant. Just in case you wanted to get them something hehehe
The page won't load properly, and I can't see the images to the items they want/need, but there is something on there for a dollar. What in the world can you buy at Babies R Us that only costs a dollar???? lmao. Unheard of.
I wish I still lived in Napa. We would have so much fun with play dates and stuff. Even if we didn't have kids. lol. I miss her so much! :(
I want to throw her a baby shower, but she has sisters and cousins (who also live closer).
Hopefully I will be able to go over there not long after Mila is born, to help Chelly around the house.
I stayed with my mom for the majority of my first pregnancy, and a month or so afterward, and it sure was nice to not have to worry about meals, clean laundry and housework!
Wow, it sounds horrible, but I can't wait for my little sister to have a baby! If only I didn't live so far from EVERYONE...

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Chris' Birthday Cake

So for Chris' birthday, since I don't have an income of my own and didn't want to spend his money on a present for him, I decided to bake him a cake. (He did get some presents and a surprise party, but he wasn't supposed to know about those)

Here is what and how I did it, and the recipes I used!

First off, I baked the cakes. I used Duncan Hines 'cause it was on sale, but any (heavy) cake works. The ones from a box are just so nice and easy! :)
I let them cool for about 5 hours. During this time I fed and played with my babies. :) They may have been cooled earlier, but I had to do this during the day, so I had to work around my normal schedule.. Cool them as long as they need to, basically.

After they had cooled completely, I made some butter cream frosting. Very easy! :)
Here's the recipe I used:

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used more, as "too much" vanilla tastes rich and almost chocolaty)
4 cups confectioners sugar (powdered)
2 tbsp milk

1) In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, butter and vanilla. (I used a spoon, as I don't have an electric mixer)
2) Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition (still using the spoon)
3) Beat in the milk (Here I switched to a whisk)
4) Continue mixing until light and fluffy (This is why I used the whisk) KEEP COVERED UNTIL READY TO DECORATE (It hardens slightly)
Next I made a batch of marshmallow fondant.
I had already made one a few days ago, but thought it wouldn't be enough as I was going to cut out letters with cookie cutters after I covered my 3 cakes with it. Turns out I didn't need the 2nd batch. 1 is enough for 2 cakes, decorating, and play dough for your kids. LOL
I used this recipe:

16 oz mini marshmallows
2 tbsp water
2 lbs powdered sugar

1) Put the marshmallows in a big microwavable bowl
2) Add the water
3) Microwave for 2 minutes, stir with a spatula (I used a silicone bowl scraper) that you greased thoroughly with shortening(!!!) If the marshmallows are not completely melted, microwave for another 20 seconds.
4) Add some powdered sugar, and mix well. (I kept adding until it was a caramel consistency)
5) Cover your work space with powdered sugar, and "pour" the marshmallows onto it. (I dumped 1/4 of the bag on the counter the 2nd time. Worked great!)
6) Knead the marshmallows by folding over to the middle, and keep adding powdered sugar to make the fondant more pliable and less sticky. (I didn't end up using the whole bag, but my hands were completely greased with shortening to keep the marshmallows from sticking to me, which counter acts the powdered sugar)

If the fondant is sticky; add more powdered sugar, if it begins to crack; add some shortening, if it is hard to knead and seems dry; microwave for a few seconds (10-30)

Store Fondant air tight, as it hardens, and microwave for 30 seconds before you start kneading it.

Next I smothered my cakes with butter cream icing, one at a time, and kept them close to (but not in the way of) where I was working with my fondant.
(Didn't take a picture of this :( )

I colored the fondant, this should only be done with GEL coloring. The liquid ones will mess up the consistency and make your fondant sticky and not good for cake decorating, but you don't have to-it's pure white (if you used white marshmallows). I've read that you can flavor them as well, but I didn't, since I was scared it would mess with the consistency, and we don't mind the taste of marshmallows nor powdered sugar.
Online it says to color your fondant by sticking a toothpick into the gel and smearing it on the fondant. Unless you are coloring say, a nose for your bunny, or a little chick, I would not suggest this! I just squeezed the gel onto the fondant, keeping the powdered sugar close, and still working on a powdered sugar surface. If you color the fondant that you will drape the cake with and use the toothpick technique you will be in the kitchen for DAYS.
Then, when it's the color, flavor, texture you like, roll it out with a rolling pin, silicone works best (read: sticks the least) but I used wood which worked fine. Roll it to about 1/4 inch thick. I have no idea how thick that is (LOL) so I just rolled it to where I wouldn't mind it when taking a bite of my fondant covered cake. Make sure your fondant is big enough to cover the top and all sides of your cake, and leave a little room "hanging over" on the counter or plate, whatever you're working on. You can cut excess fondant off, but you can't stick it on and still make it look nice.
Now here comes my input int his, and I highly suggest it as it made it super easy!

Remember where I said keep your ready-to-go (read: covered in butter cream) cake close? Here's why!
Lift one side of your fondant up with your left hand (if your cake is on the left side of your fondant) reach underneath your left arm with your right arm, and slide (pull) the cake underneath the fondant (with your right hand). TADAAAAAA :D
Now smooth the cake (rub it gently) with your hands (if you, like me, don't have a smoother) until it is PERFECT, meaning no bumps, lumps, or other unevenness.

Now cut off the excess fondant and VOILA. You fondanted a cake! lmao

I had a 3 tier cake, every cake a different color fondant, and the letters (and numbers) a diferent color too. Start with fesh fondant (white) or just keep adding color to your pre-colored fondant to get the same hue (I did it that way, so the cake would end up in all different shads of blueish green :) )
Here's Cain helping me! I showed him how to cut out letters in the fondant, using regular cookie cutters, and he caught on quickly! :) Make sure you (or your little one) press down hard enough, 'cause it will rip and you'll end up with an "n" instead of an "m" lol

Oh, and the way I did the "25"? I rolled 2 little balls of fondant, one greenish yellow, the other blue, and stuck them to eachother to make 1 ball. I kneaded it a few times (3-4) then rolled it out with my rolling pin. I didn't want them too well mixed, as I was going for this exact look it turned out to be! :D

Fondant is fun to work with, and easy too! I am a mess with icing, so this is perfect for me, and it looks so elegant (and like it was very hard to do! lol) Give it a try! Even the recipes are easy!!

I didn't have any of the ingredients on hand, so I had to buy EVERYTHING (except a rolling pin and cake pans) and it cost me about $20. Yay for inexpensive but classy cakes that you can put all your blood, sweat and tears (or just love, time and effort) into!

I hope this inspired you all to try it -from scratch!

HAVE FUN!

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